How To Get Paid To Travel The World

For the hardcore wanderlust souls, the only impediment in exploring the world is money and time. Money, because everything comes for a cost; and time, because they can’t afford to ignore their ‘job’ for long.

But what if these two join hands? What if you no more have to worry about your travel expenses or about that 9 to 5 job waiting for you back home? We are not talking gibberish. It IS possible for you to get paid to travel.

There are some really cool job opportunities waiting out there for you. You can kick start your travel related business from home or while on the move. So if you are willing to travel for less (or even free), here goes the list of the most endearing work opportunities for travel bugs:

How can you get paid to be a World traveler?

Be a Professional Tour Guide

Well this one is undeniably every traveler’s first idea. Living around the most iconic heritage sites across the globe is like a fairytale. In fact it is a widely varied job opportunity too.

You can choose to become a tour guide in your one dream city, say Rome, and guide hordes of tourists through the Roman civilization. Or you can be more versatile and lead groups to longer journeys through a series of holiday destinations. Either way you get to explore one city after another.

However, being a one-location tour guide fetches you lesser perks than the latter option. There is lack of job security and paydays are usually lackluster. Long-term guides, alternatively, have more odds of being hired as a full-time gig from tourist companies. So there is more travel, more money and more job security.

Be a Travel Guidebook Researcher

As lucrative and fancy as it sounds, travel guidebook writing is one awfully tedious job, specially designed for the workaholic wanderlusts. Working for brands like Lonely Planet and Fodors might be high on your career ambitions, but dig in deep to know what goes beyond.

Yes you are paid to travel to a LOT of places; yes you are paid to see, eat and live everything the city has to offer. But all this in return for unrealistic deadlines that may require you to work for 12-14 hours at stretch! If this kind of a work schedule excites you, your profession is decided!

Besides traveling from one touristy place to another and sight-seeing, you have to draw maps, crank out articles and reports, engage in draggy data entry and a lot more. The pay is not extravagant but enough to make ends meet.

Become a Flight Attendant

It’s time for women to get dolled up and men all suited up to become a Flight Attendant. If you are cool with the idea of pursuing a 9 to 5 job alongside your travel endeavors, this job is perfect for you. You can make around $25,000 to $50,000 per annum, depending upon your experience and the company you are catering to. Some may question the salary structure, but considering the limited working hours every month, it’s absolute bliss! Flight attendants work for an average 80 hours a month, which can go further if you are willing to. And what’s more, additional hours equal additional pay.

This perks of being a Flight Attendant include travel benefits not just for you but your family as well. You get to meet new people, experience varied cultures and live a nomadic life.

Be a dedicated Travel Blogger/Vlogger

Well this one may be a tough gig. Your passion for travel must be accompanied by your love for writing or video-making. Also, this profession demands investment.

Basically, this is How Travel blogging works. You are supposed to spend a year or two exploring faraway lands and simultaneously writing blogs about them. Then you build a website of your own, churn out several posts a day regarding your experiences, travel tips, do’s and don’t’s etc. After this, getting your website popular on social media is the next step that demands extensive marketing, site growth, finances, etc.. So finally, when your investment starts paying, you have already traveled a good deal!

Vlogging is the latest trend where travelers make videos of their journey and post on popular sites as YouTube.

Learn Destination Wedding Photography

If you are both a travel bug and a shutterbug, then sky is the limit. Display your creative expression while getting paid for free travel. Make sure you have put enough practice and time in your photography skill and earned your wedding photographer accolade right! The entry cost into this career line may be high (considering all the camera, computer, lenses, editing software, training, etc.), but once established, you can easily earn $10,000 per wedding.

The ever flourishing wedding business keeps imbibing new avenues for the bride and groom. And with the latest exordium of pre-wedding photoshoot, couples go beyond the stereotype to make their wedding a memorable ordeal. Wedding photographers accompany the couple to the respective destination; their food, accommodation and incidentals all being taken care of. The job demands a lot of backbreaking work, no doubt. But you can always extend your sojourn for a few hundred dollars in exchange!

Try some WWOOF’ing!

Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms or WWOOF is no cliché business opportunity. Travelers (and also volunteers in this case) can work on amazing farmlands like the vineyards in Tuscany or Pineapple farms in Costa Rica for a set period along with likeminded travelers. In exchange, they receive accommodation and home-cooked meals. Tenure of the stay can be flexible for as long or little as you wish. All you need to spend on is your ticket to reach the destination. With so many other wanderlusts working with you, you may get lucky to be offered a ride to your next destination by a fellow worker.

While it’s not so much of a career opportunity, you can see the world while keeping your bank account intact. Free food and accommodation can make a lot of difference to your travel expenses.

Take up English Teaching

If you are patient and wise enough to be a teacher and have adept command over the English language, then a whole list of countries are waiting out there for you! Asian, Latin American and African countries offer a wide array of opportunities to travelers to teach English in their elementary schools. Although no teaching credentials are essentially required, having a TEFL certificate can be really helpful.

The pay scale may not be very lucrative in these countries, considering their living standards. But Developed nations like UAE, South Korea and Japan offer sweet money to TEFL instructors.

Look for a Cruise Job

The salary may be meager but with all the expenses met and free travel offered, job on a cruise line is totally worthwhile. The ship in itself is a ride of luxury. You have your own dining halls, shopping centers, gyms, cafes, party areas and even organized group activities. Plus you can go for unprecedented island hoping whenever you get time.

The range of jobs is tremendous. From washing dishes to chaperoning other vacationers on day-excursions- you can take your pick. Artists, chefs, bartenders, there’s so much to do and explore!

Work as an Au Pair for Celebrities

Au pair stands for an extra pair of hands. Basically, you have to be an International nanny for families who love to travel. The tenure is set beforehand and all you need to do is take care of the kiddos in exchange for free accommodation, food, tickets and pocket money.

This job usually attracts youngsters just passed out of high school or college. So make your move before it’s too late. Check out such websites to understand this career opportunity better.

Join Merchant Navy

This immensely well-paying career is a dream come true for every man who is a sailor at heart. Merchant Navy offers tremendous opportunities to deck staff and engineers alike.

The merchant fleet takes you literally across the globe. A couple of months in the sea and the next set of months with your family, it’s absolutely perfect career avenue in every respect. Just make sure you aren’t sea-sick. Well, even if you are, this lucrative job will make all your nausea go away!

Be a Travel Journalist

If you have the confidence and dedication to be on screen, try travel journalism. With the advent of so many travel channels on TV, companies are constantly searching for avid travelers, willing to live the cities instead of just vacationing there.

Needless to mention, almost all the major expenses are met by your employer. Your job profile requires you to change your viewpoint about the world from a traveler to a local. Chasing the labyrinthine alleyways, sharing your experiences with the locals, understanding the heart of the city- all that you could ever hope for as a traveler, you are paid to do!

Traveling is so much more than just a hobby or passion. It’s indescribable for those who live just to see the world. And with these offbeat career options, you are sure to make your whole life a living adventure!